Many of the freedoms we enjoy here in the U.S. are quickly eroding as the nation transforms from the land of the free into the land of the enslaved, but what I’m about to share with you takes the assault on our freedoms to a whole new level. You may not be aware of this, but many Western states, including Utah, Washington and Colorado, have long outlawed individuals from collecting rainwater on their own properties because, according to officials, that rain belongs to someone else.

我們在美國所享有的自由正在很快腐蝕當中, 當這個國家正在從自由土地轉型為奴隸的土地, 我要與你分享的是這種對人民自由侵略的行為正在升高到某種新的層次. 你可能毫無所知, 但很多西部的州, 包括猶大州, 科羅拉多州, 與華盛頓州, 都在限制人民不可在自家收集雨水, 因為...根據官方規定, 這些雨水是屬於某些人的.

Check out this news report out of Salt Lake City, Utah, about the issue. It’s illegal in Utah to divert rainwater without a valid water right, and Mark Miller of Mark Miller Toyota, found this out the hard way.

去查查某些州的新聞報導, 像鹽湖市, 猶他州. 在猶他州, 沒有事先得到收集水的許可是不能去收集過濾雨水的. 其中一位居民Mark Miller就深受其苦學到寶貴一課

After constructing a large rainwater collection system at his new dealership to use for washing new cars, Miller found out that the project was actually an “unlawful diversion of rainwater.” Even though it makes logical conservation sense to collect rainwater for this type of use since rain is scarce in Utah, it’s still considered a violation of water rights which apparently belong exclusively to Utah’s various government bodies.

一直到他建造一個大型雨水回收系統用來洗車, Miller才發現此舉是違法的. 即使身為居民很自然就會想儲蓄水, 因為這州雨水很少. 但仍被視為違法行為, 水被猶他州視為是屬於政府單位的

“Utah’s the second driest state in the nation. Our laws probably ought to catch up with that,” explained Miller in response to the state’s ridiculous rainwater collection ban.

猶他州是美國第二乾旱區. 我們的法律應該要試圖去延留任何的水, Miller在回應州政府這種好笑的雨水禁止回收的法令時表示.

Salt Lake City officials worked out a compromise with Miller and are now permitting him to use “their” rainwater, but the fact that individuals like Miller don’t actually own the rainwater that falls on their property is a true indicator of what little freedom we actually have here in the U.S. (Access to the rainwater that falls on your own property seems to be a basic right, wouldn’t you agree?)

鹽湖市官員最後與Miller妥協, 允許他重新使用他自蓋的雨水回收系統, 但言明居民像Miller這樣實際上是沒有權使用的. 這代表在美國生活的自由變小了? (在自家收集雨水不是一種基本權利嗎? 你不同意嗎?)

Outlawing rainwater collection in other states

Utah isn’t the only state with rainwater collection bans, either. Colorado and Washington also have rainwater collection restrictions that limit the free use of rainwater, but these restrictions vary among different areas of the states and legislators have passed some laws to help ease the restrictions.

猶他州還不是唯一禁止回收雨水的呢. 科羅拉多州與華盛頓州也有類似的禁令, 不能自由使用下到你家的雨水, 而這些禁令各州略有出入. 民意代表有在奔走試圖鬆綁這樣的規定

In Colorado, two new laws were recently passed that exempt certain small-scale rainwater collection systems, like the kind people might install on their homes, from collection restrictions.

在科羅拉多州, 有兩項新法最近通過, 允許小規模雨水回收系統, 像居民自家裝設的.

Prior to the passage of these laws, Douglas County, Colorado, conducted a study a study on how rainwater collection affects aquifer and groundwater supplies. The study revealed that letting people collect rainwater on their properties actually reduces demand from water facilities and improves conservation.

允許小規模雨水回收之前, 道格拉斯與科羅拉多州做了一個調查, 居民自行收集雨水會如何影響到土地的含水量與地下水的供應. 這項調查顯示讓民眾在自家回收雨水確實會降低對水設施的需求, 增加保留量

Personally, I don’t think a study was even necessary to come to this obvious conclusion. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out that using rainwater instead of tap water is a smart and useful way to conserve this valuable resource, especially in areas like the West where drought is a major concern.

個人而言, 我覺得根本不需這樣的調查就可知道這樣的結論. 不需要一群尖端科學家就會知道, 使用雨水, 不使用自來水是項聰明有用的方式, 能保留珍貴資源, 特別是西部缺水的區域.

Additionally, the study revealed that only about three percent of Douglas County’s precipitation ended up in the streams and rivers that are supposedly being robbed from by rainwater collectors. The other 97 percent either evaporated or seeped into the ground to be used by plants.

除此之外, 這項調查顯示只有3%道格拉斯縣的下雨被居民欄截儲存起來, 那些水不被收集也是落到河流溪流中. 其餘97%不是蒸發掉就是被土壤吸收掉

This hints at why bureaucrats can’t really use the argument that collecting rainwater prevents that water from getting to where it was intended to go. So little of it actually makes it to the final destination that virtually every household could collect many rain barrels worth of rainwater and it would have practically no effect on the amount that ends up in streams and rivers.

官員根本無法反駁回收雨水

It’s all about control, really

一切只攸關控制, 真的.

As long as people remain unaware and uninformed about important issues, the government will continue to chip away at the freedoms we enjoy. The only reason these water restrictions are finally starting to change for the better is because people started to notice and they worked to do something to reverse the law.

只要人民仍對重要議題仍一切無知, 也無從得知時, 政府會繼續一點一滴剝奪人民享的自由. 這些水資源取用的限制開始鬆綁是因為人民開始注意到, 也開始做一些事去反制這些好笑的法律

Even though these laws restricting water collection have been on the books for more than 100 years in some cases, they’re slowly being reversed thanks to efforts by citizens who have decided that enough is enough.

即使有些法律是自古就規定存在法律書上有一百年, 感謝大家的覺醒與努力, 當發現這樣的法律真是夠了, 就會開始要求修改平復.

Because if we can’t even freely collect the rain that falls all around us, then what, exactly, can we freely do? The rainwater issue highlights a serious overall problem in America today: diminishing freedom and increased government control.

如果我們都無法自由收集落在我們身邊的雨水, 那我們還能自由做什麼? 雨水回收突顯一個全美的嚴重議題, 消蝕的自由, 與增加的政府控制

Today, we’ve basically been reprogrammed to think that we need permission from the government to exercise our inalienable rights, when in fact the government is supposed to derive its power from us. The American Republic was designed so that government would serve the People to protect and uphold freedom and liberty. But increasingly, our own government is restricting people from their rights to engage in commonsense, fundamental actions such as collecting rainwater or buying raw milk from the farmer next door.

今天, 我們基本上都被教得很乖, 總以為做什麼事都要取的政府的同意, 才能行使我們的權利. 但實情是政府拿走我們的力量. 美利堅共合國是設計來, 政府要服務人民, 保護人民的自由與權利. 但漸漸地我們的政府不斷在限縮人民的權利, 像基本行為連回收雨水都不行, 或跟隔壁牧牛者買牛奶也不行

Today, we are living under a government that has slowly siphoned off our freedoms, only to occasionally grant us back a few limited ones under the pretense that they’re doing us a benevolent favor.

今天我們生活在需要政府允許的小規模自由範圍內. 少許的小小自由好像很大的恩惠讓我們感激萬分

Fight back against enslavement

這是奴隸行為, 我們需要回應

As long as people believe their rights stem from the government (and not the other way around), they will always be enslaved. And whatever rights and freedoms we think we still have will be quickly eroded by a system of bureaucratic power that seeks only to expand its control.

只要人民以為他們的權利來自政府, 他們就是在被奴隸. 任何我們以為還有的權力與自由都會很快消失, 被現存政府的官僚制度給侵蝕殆盡.

Because the same argument that’s now being used to restrict rainwater collection could, of course, be used to declare that you have no right to the air you breathe, either. After all, governments could declare that air to be somebody else’s air, and then they could charge you an “air tax” or an “air royalty” and demand you pay money for every breath that keeps you alive.

既然都能說你沒權利自行採集落到你腳下的雨水, 哪天也可說你呼吸周邊空氣的權利也是政府的. 到最後, 政府可宣稱這空氣屬別人的, 他們可以跟你收空氣稅, 或空氣權利金. 要求為你呼吸的每一次空氣付費.

Think it couldn’t happen? Just give it time. The government already claims it owns your land and house, effectively. If you really think you own your home, just stop paying property taxes and see how long you still “own” it. Your county or city will seize it and then sell it to pay off your “tax debt.” That proves who really owns it in the first place… and it’s not you!

別以為不會發生....只要再一點時間. 這個政府已經有效地宣稱他擁有你的地你的房子. 你還以為你的房子是你的? 試著不繳房屋稅地價稅看看...看看你還可擁有多久. 你的地方政府會沒收把它處理掉. 這下就可證明誰才是擁有它的老大.

How about the question of who owns your body? According to the U.S. Patent & Trademark office, U.S. corporations and universities already own 20% of your genetic code. Your own body, they claim, is partially the property of someone else.

再來, 誰擁有你的身體? 根據美國智慧財產局, 美國公司與大學已擁有20%你的基因碼. 他們說, 你的身體部份是屬於別人的.

So if they own your land, your water and your body, how long before they claim to own your air, your mind and even your soul?

如果他們都能擁有你的土地, 水, 身體, 你覺得再多久他們會說他們擁有你頂上的空氣, 你的心志, 甚至你的靈魂?

Unless we stand up against this tyranny, it will creep upon us, day after day, until we find ourselves totally enslaved by a world of corporate-government collusion where everything of value is owned by powerful corporations — all enforced at gunpoint by local law enforcement.